This invention relates to compositions and processes for solubilizing oils. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of specific mixtures of long-chain alkylene oxide surfactants and short-chain alkylene oxide co-surfactants, said mixtures having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) in the range of from about 10.8 to about 12.0 to remove oil from fabrics and other surfaces.
Current laundry products and procedures exhibit one or more deficiencies when used to clean oil stains, particularly hydrocarbon stains, from fabrics. Fatty triglyceride soils, especially those arising from natural body secretions, present another type of oily stain which is difficult to remove from modern fabrics by means of simply aqueous laundering processes. Such deficiencies are especially apparent when polyester or polyester fabric blends soiled with various oily materials are laundered in aqueous laundry baths. The oil removal problem is so acute that Smith, et al., Textile Chemicals, Col. 5, No. 7, 138 (1973) have concluded that detergent formulation alone is very unlikely to solve the problem of effecting satisfactory release of any broad spectrum of oils from today's durable press fabrics, unless the fabrics are specially finished with hydrophilic materials.
Heretofore, effective oil removal from modern fabrics has largely been accomplished by means of relatively inconvenient and expensive methods involving non-aqueous dry cleaning processes. Accordingly, compositions and processes which would provide the economical and efficient removal of oily soils and stains from fabrics employing conventional household laundry equipment are desirable.
The present invention employs combinations of long-chain and short-chain alkoxylated nonionic materials to effect the removal of oily materials from fabrics in an aqueous laundering process. The use of alkoxylated nonionic detergent materials in cleansing operations has been described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,133,480 and 2,164,431. The disclosures of these patents teach that the condensation products of aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing from 8 to about 18 carbon atoms with from 1 to 3 moles of ethylene oxide are useful in combination with various anionic surfactants in washing operations and for emulsifying oils.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,608 discloses the use of the ethoxylates of random secondary alcohols in low sudsing detergent compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,905 teaches that the products produced by the addition of from 1 to about 4 moles of an alkylene oxide with alcohols containing, at most, 12 carbon atoms are suitable for use in detergent compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,739 broadly describes the use of condensates comprising from about 3 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of higher aliphatic C.sub.10 -C.sub.20 hydrocarbyl alcohol in detergent compositions in combination with various polyethyleneoxy ethers of alkyl phenols and alkylolamides.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,119 discloses spot removal compositions containing mixed ethoxylates in combination with sulfated ethoxylate detergents for removing oily soils and stains from collars and cuffs of shirts and dresses.
Belgian Pat. No. 806,712 issued on Apr. 30, 1974 teaches the use of condensation products of fatty alcohols containing from 10 to 15 carbon atoms with 3 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide, said condensates having an HLB of from about 10 to about 13.5, together with various anionic detergents in laundering compositions.
German patent application DOS No. 2,125,836 published Dec. 2, 1971 discloses a builder-free liquid for cleaning metallic surfaces, particularly the external surfaces of aircraft, comprising mixtures of secondary alcohol ethoxylates of widely differing ethylene oxide content.
Canadian Pat. No. 860,898 broadly discloses nonionic mixtures composed of a conventional nonionic surfactant and a detergency improver which is a primary or secondary C.sub.8 -C.sub.15 alcohol ethoxylate containing less than 51% by weight of ethylene oxide. Detergent compositions containing these mixtures are asserted to have improved detergency properties.
While the use of various alkoxylated nonionic mixtures in detergent compositions is known, the detergency arts have not heretofore recognized that certain combinations of short-chain and long-chain alkylene oxide condensates as disclosed herein afford superior oily soil removal. In fact, in view of the conflicting information in the prior art, the most that can be said is that various nonionic surfactants and mixtures have been broadly suggested for use in detergent compositions.
It has now been discovered that properly formulated mixtures of long-chain and short-chain alkoxylated nonionic surface active agents are especially useful in aqueous solutions for solubilizing oily soils and removing same from all manner of surfaces. Notably, the compositions herein are characterized by the speed with which they remove oils from fabrics, especially polyester and polyester blends; hence, they are useful for cleansing fabrics in the relatively limited time available in the deterging cycle of a home laundry operation. Moreover, the compositions herein can be employed singly to cleanse materials such as fabrics, or can be added to various commercial laundry detergent compositions to enhance the oil removal properties thereof.
The compositions herein are useful for cleaning and degreasing a variety of surfaces other than textiles and are useful, for example, in the metal working trades and as hard surface cleaners for use on floors and walls.
It is an object of the present invention to provide compositions and processes for solubilizing oils and for removing oily soils from surfaces.
A second object herein is to provide compositions and processes for removing oils and oily soil from fabrics in a home laundry operation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide additive compositions which can be employed with commercial laundry detergents to enhance the oil removal efficacy thereof.
These and other objects are obtained herein, as will be seen by the following disclosure.